


Newsflash: High School is Never like the Movies

by hwanaissance



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Choi San is Ateez' baby, Choi San-centric, Everyone Loves Choi San, Found Family, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:48:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22823572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hwanaissance/pseuds/hwanaissance
Summary: the saddest thing about betrayal is the fact that it never comes from your enemiesalt. a story of losing friends, and gaining them. a tale of redemption and rebuilding.
Relationships: Choi San & Kim Hongjoong, Choi San/Everyone
Comments: 16
Kudos: 58





	1. prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for this chap // homophobic slurs and puking !

On the first day of his freshmen year, san wakes up to birds chirping outside his window that he forgot to close last night. San looks to his clock, _(6:57, it reads)_ and silently cursed himself, why did he have to wake up three minutes before his alarm would go off? He shook his head, and decided an early start was better than a late start.

He grabs the outfit he layed out the night before, a _Thrasher_ t-shirt, some light wash skinny jeans, and his checkered vans. He figured he might as well look good for his first day of high school.

San wasn't necessarily the _best_ student.. but he was almost giddy. He didn't mean to be cliché, but he wondered if it would be anything like the movies... He shook his head as if to dispel the thought, he didn't want to get his hopes up.

"San! It's seven twenty-one! Are you almost up?" His mother called from downstairs, and San let out a quiet _shit_ as he quickly sets his ensemble down on the bed, strips quickly.

Just as he started trying to jam his foot into his vans so he didn't have to expel any actual effort trying to get them on, his mother yells that _you better get down here quick or your pancakes will get cold!_

San smiled. It was a tradition that every year, his mother would make him breakfast for his first day of school. He yanked his phone off the charger and bounded down the stairs. 

"This looks amazing!" He yelled when he laid his eyes on the feast his mother had prepared, "Thank you, Sannie." She replied and giggled when he pecked her cheek.

San scarfed down his breakfast with the fervor of a starving man, and his mother chuckled fondly. "Don't choke, Sannie. We still have fifteen minutes before we need to leave." She chided gently, and San blinked, and smiled sheepishly like he hadn't realized he was practically inhaling his food, his mother sighed.

When he finished, San ran back up the stairs, ever the energetic boy, and combed his hair and brushed his teeth in record time. He finished the rest of his morning essentials, humming to a tune only he knew, and finished at _7:44_ according to his phone. Perfect.

"Mom, I'm ready!" He called down the stairs, just as he heard the garage door opening. He ran to his room, and double checked his bag. He was all set.

Grinning, he practically skipped down the stairs. He could see his mother laughing through the car window, "I take it you're excited?" She asked as San opened the door, and San nodded vigorously.

San and his mother lived in a relatively small town, so it's not like there'd be any new kids unless someone had the misfortune of moving here over the summer. But San didn't care, he was excited to see his best friend since sixth grade, Jongdae. They didn't hang out much over the summer, Jongdae was rather popular, and was busy with something or another just about every time San called, but San didn't mind.

San gaped as his mother pulled into the high school parking lot, it being bigger than he remembered when he went to enroll in the summer. He was almost intimidated, and he knew he'd get lost.

"Be strong, Sannie." His mother murmured, when she saw his face. San nodded resolutely and squared his shoulders. "There's my boy." San's mother smiled as she leant over the center console to hug him.

"Have a great day." She whispered as she pulled back, and San nodded as he got out of the car. He inhaled deeply as he looked at the imposing structure, and walked ahead with his chin held high. He looked around every few steps, searching for Jongdae, but didn't spot him. He was probably inside.

When San walked inside it was eerily quiet, considering how many students were in the hallway. San could've sworn people were staring at him, but he figured it was just his first say jitters. He heard some whispers here and there, and couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about _him,_ since there was really no need to whisper.

After great difficulty, he found his first hour, which Jongdae was in, but he had gotten there so close to the bell, there were barely any seats open, just his luck... He went to go sit down at the closest open seat (at the other end of the classroom from Jongdae, of course) when his desk mate looked at him. His face screwed up, as if he were analyzing San. San felt a bit uncomfortable, so he figured the best thing to do was to introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Choi S-"

"Don't sit by me, fag!"

San froze.

He could hear some of his classmates snickering, but it felt so.. distant.

No one knew San was... like that. except for himself-

He gasped, and his lip started to tremble.

Himself and... Jongdae.

But.. But Jongdae wouldn't do that, right? He said it was fine when San told him he liked boys a lot more than he liked girls. He didn't bat an eye when San said he found a guy in one of his classes cute. He wouldn't do this...

Would he?

San thinks back to when he entered the school. Were there actually stares and whispers directed at him? Did.. Did everybody think he was-

Would everyone call him a-

He felt sick. 

He grabbed his stuff off the floor (he guessed that he dropped it in shock) and bolted out of the classroom, physically bumping into the teacher as he ran. 

He ran through so many hallways before he found the nurses office that he felt like he was in a maze.

Trapped.

"What are you doing he-" The nurse started, but San bolted behind him to grab the small trash can by one of the beds when he felt bile rising up his throat.

He retched up his breakfast, and when that was gone his stomach acid came up too.

It _burned_

"Woah, kid, are you alright? You gotta fever?" The nurse asked as he hesitantly put a hand on San's shoulder. San nodded, which sent another wave of nausea crashing into him. He dry heaved into the trash can, nothing else to throw up, as the nurse rubbed soothing, tentative circles into his back.

When San felt that he didn't even have the energy in him to dry heave anymore, he slumped against the frame of the bed behind him.

When the nurse removed his hand, and went off to go get a thermometer to check San's temperature, San sighed in simultaneous relief and loneliness.

And he burst into tears. 

(Newsflash: High School is Never like the Movies)


	2. I

It is San's senior year and he is ready to leave this hell hole. Hell, he's been ready for the past four years. He remembered his first day of his freshmen year like it was yesterday, not like it was hard to remember the events of that day. That was the day his so called best friend outed him to his entire school. He wasn't very excited for the year after that. 

San had had a few friends aside from Jongdae, but none of them talked to him after _that._ The nicer ones still smiled, albeit awkwardly, at him in the hall when they were alone, and ignored him when they were with their friends. But it was okay, San had gotten used to it.

San's mother didn't make him breakfast on the first day of school anymore because she got longer hours. He didn't mind it, it's not like he was excited for the first day of school anymore. 

And so, San had toast as he ran out the door, almost late, on his first day of senior year. He huffed as he looked at the clock on his beat up hand-me down car his mother and him shared because she couldn't afford another car, and no matter how many times he reassured her it was fine, she always apologized to him.

San loved his mom, and knew she loved him, but sometimes he wondered... if San told her he was gay, would she react the same way his classmates did, and shun him...

He shivered, though it was eighty degrees. Better to not think about that.

San was humming along to his beat up radio when suddenly a bicycle rode into the street right in front of him. San barely had time to process it before he shut his eyes and felt himself slamming on the brakes. When he opened his eyes, the bicycle was nowhere to be found. If it weren't for other cars on the street all all stopped in a similar state of disarray, he'd think he imagined the whole thing. San sighed, thank god they were in a school zone because if not he doubted they'd all have been able to stop on such short notice. 

Riding into the middle of the road (especially when there's no crosswalk or light!) is an asshole move but San's frankly just glad no one killed the man. 

After looking to either side repeatedly, he cautiously started driving again. 

Soon enough, San was pulling into the school's parking lot. He sighed, gloomy as ever he supposed. He parked as close as possible, and pulled his hood over his head before grabbing his bag and getting out. 

He kept his head down as he walked through the halls, only flicking his eyes up to check for class numbers.

He found his class ( _1117_ ) and that would've been fine and dandy if there weren't a group of boys blocking his way. While he was too scared to look up and try and get a good look at them, he didn't recognize them. It'd be absolutely crazy if his rinky-dink school got... seven? new students over the summer. He bet this was a hot topic, not like he had anyone to tell him of course. 

He wondered if they already knew about what... he was. He flinched at the thought, he hoped not.

'Dude,' He was probably old news, anyways.

'Dude, you've been standing there for five minutes.' San knew it wasn't logical, but his paranoid brain wondered if someone told them about him and they were waiting outside his classroom just to beat him up-

'Dude!' San looked up, and flinched. He found seven pairs of eyes on him. Oh no. San really didn't want to skip school on the first day, but if he ran now they shouldn't be able to catch him-

'Woah, bro, calm down. We just wanted to let you know class is almost starting.. I'm guessing you're in this class too?' San was skeptical. He definitely knew he'd never seen them before, but the one with bright red hair looked familiar... And how did he know they weren't just going to trip him as soon as he decided to walk through the door. 

'...We'll go in first, don't be late man.' San guessed they sensed his hesitancy, he hoped they wouldn't use that against him... They didn't seem to have any ill intent as they walked through the door without giving him a second glance. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

With only a minute to spare, San figured it was time to go in. He paused outside the door, and looked around to see if any part of the classroom was empty. He cursed when he realized it'd be a full class, there was only one seat available and it was...

in the middle of that group who were talking to him.

He resisted the urge to bang his head against the door. At least they hadn't shown visible distaste towards him he supposed... But he was almost more scared by the fact that he didn't know them. With his old classmates, he knew what to expect, with them he... didn't have anything to go off of. 

He steeled himself. Just ignore them, and you'll be fine.

He walked in, and didn't look up to see if anyone was staring at him. Though he swore he could feel eyes on him... Hopefully it's just in his head.

His seat was by a... blond man. No one at his school really dyed their hair, it being in a small town and all. It was... interesting, almost intimidating. He looked at his plain, black hair that fell over his eyes, and felt boring. He also felt like he needed a haircut. He crossed his arms on the desk and rest his head on them.

'Alright class!' San's eyes snapped to the front, 'Since it's the first day back, I'll go easy on you, alright?' The class murmured in assent, 'Today you will spend the day getting to know your seat mates.' She smiled like that was the best thing they could possibly do, 'I know all- sorry, most of you have at least seen each other before, but I bet most of you don't really know each other, so talk amongst yourselves, but don't get too rowdy!' She finished her sentence by plopping down on her chair, and picking up a book. 

San took this as his queue to take a power nap, he was quite tired, since he stayed up well into the morning worrying over what could possibly go wrong today. 

He felt a tap on his right shoulder, and he tensed. There was a pause, and he almost let himself calm down, but then he was tapped, again. He inhaled shakily. Oh boy, what if this is where they ask him why he's sitting here and call him a... call him a-

'Um, what's your name?' San blinked, and shifted his head to see the person who had tapped his shoulder. The man did indeed have dirty blond hair, and even if San wasn't... you know, he'd still know the man was attractive.

The boy cleared his throat, and San realized he had been staring. San felt like he was going to be sick, he had been trying to fix himself since freshmen year and he had been doing good but suddenly a bunch of attractive strangers show up and he's back to square one. The boy must be uncomfortable oh no. San's known him for a total of like, five minutes and he already managed to fuck it up-

'Ah, I'm sorry, how rude of me. I'm Park Seonghwa.' The boy in question said as he stuck out his hand. San blinked at him like he'd never seen another man in his life. San had never had someone, let alone someone his age, offer a handshake when they met. San shook his head to clear his thoughts and realized he'd practically stared at the man as if he'd grown a third head for the past few minutes and he must seem extremely rude.

'Oh, uh... I'm Choi San.' He said quietly, awkwardly extending one of his arms that was still tucked under his head. 

'Well, nice to meet you, Choi San.' The boy, Seonghwa, said and then smiled like San hadn't practically ignored him for five minutes. 

San couldn't help but give a shy smile back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the rest of the boys will be introduced next chapter :) feedback is appreciated!


End file.
